Process of making slip-lasted shoes



Dec. 12, 1950 J. J. WALSH 2,533,336

PROCESS OF MAKING SLIP-LASTED SHOES Filed March 24, 1947 INVENTOR JOHN J. WALSH ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 12, 1950 rRooEss OF MAKING SLIP-,LASTED SHOES John J. Walsh, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to Hamilton, Scheu & Walsh Shoe (30., St. Louis, Mo.,

a corporation of Missouri 7 Application March 24, 1947, Serial No. 736,803-

This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in slip-lasted shoes and to the process of making the same.

My invention has for its primary object the provision of a shoe requiring for its production only a few process operations not only for the most part of so-called slip-last type, but also readily effected with ease, accuracy, and precision by relatively unskilled workers and with consequent savings in labor cost and the elimination of losses by reason of faulty and rejected shoes. U

My invention has for a further object the provision of a shoe through and by the em.- ployment of the process-operations mentioned which is simple and sturdy in structure, which is soft and comfortable on the foot, which is light in weight and attractive in appearance, and which is efficiently serviceable.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention resides in the novel features of form, construction, arrangement, and combination of parts and in the unique steps or process of shoe production all presently described and pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, illustrate in plan or perspective the several component elements, namely, the insole, insole binding strip, the upper, and heel-strap members employed in the construction of a shoe in accordance with my present invention;

Figure 5 is a plan view of the insole member marginally coated with adhesive preparatory to application of the binding strip;

Figure 6 is a plan view of the insole member after application of the binding strip;

Figure '7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line l--l of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a bottom plan view of the assem bled shoe prior to slip-lasting;

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-4! of Figure 8;

Figures 10 and 11 are side elevational and bottom plan views, respectively, of the shoe in position on a slip-last;

Figure 12 is a transverse sectional view of the completed shoe taken approximately along the line I2-i2 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a side elevational view of the completed shoe; and

Figure 14 is a transverse sectional view taken along line I l-E i of Figure 13.

Referring now in more detail and by reference characters to the drawing, which is illus- 1 claim. (01. 12-142) trative both of practical embodiments of a. shoe of my present invention and of its method or process of manufacture or production, the present shoe is built up on an edge-bound insole as a foundation'without the employment or use of a last during the initial stages of its manufacture.

To such end, I provide an insole member I stamped or cut out of cloth, thin leather, or other flexible fabric having the general outline or contour and dimensions of the outer sole of the particular shoe being manufactured, as best seen in Figure l. The insole member 1 is then coated with a band of adhesive around its entire peripheral margin, as at 2. A suitable strip of leather, fabric, or binding tape 3 is then stitched around the entire margin of the section I in the formation of an edge-bound insole A. The insole A is then placed beneath a suitable pattern (not shown) and segmental lines of adhesive 11 are applied between the points b, b, and c, c, as shown in Figure 6.

The vamp member B, Figure 3, is first cut and otherwise constructed to approximately conform to the contour, shape, and size required in the finished shoe. Such vamp B may, of course, be made of. any suitable leather, fabric, or other material customarily employed in shoe manufacture and may, as illustrated in the present instance, be of the open toe type, although it will be understood that a closed toe type of shoe may equally well be constructed by this present method. In addition, a heel strap assembly C is formed, as shown in Figure 4, consisting of a back-strap 4 and a pair of buckleconnected ankle straps 5, 5'.

As an initial assembly step, the vamp member B is marginally folded over the insole A being initially secured by the adhesive lines a and then secured by short lines of staples 6, as shown in Figure 8. Similarly, the back-strap is folded over and secured by lines of stitches I, as shown in Figure 8. It should be noted that the adhesive lines a are somewhat shorter than the vamplength of the upper member B, so that the latter is free, as at d.

With the parts A, B, and C so joined or united one to the other, the shoe is then placed on a last L, and in order to insure subsequent precise lasting, tacks or other temporary securing members 8 are preferably disposed through the insole A and into the last L, as indicated in Figure 11. The unsecured rear margins d of the vamp B are then suitably pulled over and clinch-tacked flatwise upon the corresponding marginal portion of the insole A, as best seen in Figure 12.

When the pulled over margins of the vamp B have set, the temporary securing tacks l3 are removed and an outer sole D of the desired shoecontour, design, and shape is then adhesively or otherwise suitably fixed flatwise to and upon the under face of the insole A and over, and thereby concealing, the underfolded mar inal portions of the insole A and upper B, as is best seen in Figure 14. Finally, the shoe is completed by adhesively securing therein a conventional socklining or insole E, and in due course a heel F is suitably afiixed at the desired location to and upon the under face of the outer sole D, as illustrated in Figure 13.

It should be noted that the present method makes possible the manufacture of an extremely eflicient shoe by relatively unskilled workmen inasmuch as the assembly operations prior to placing'the shoe on a last are simplified, and the unlasted shoe can be easily and readily placed upon the last L without stretching the vamp line. Thereupon, the back portions of the upper B may be lasted over very tightly so that the finished shoe retains its size and shape and is much more durable by reason of permanent securement in such areas.

Furthermore, since the vamp line was not stretched out of shape when the last L was originally inserted, the more gentle stretching which results from the removal of the last L will not permanently distort the vamp line and the resulting shoe will fit the foot much more snugly and comfortably.

It will be understood, of course, that the shoe parts or elements are permitted to stand from time to time during the production of the shoe to allow the adhesive or cementitious binding or securing material to dr and harden, and it will also be understood that other changes and modifications in the form, construction, arrangement, and combination of the several parts of the shoe, as well as changes also in its step of manufacture or production, may be made and substituted for those herein shown and described without departing from the nature and principle of my invention. Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: That process of shOe production which includes providing an insole member having approximately the contour of the finished shoe, coating said insole member around its entire peripheral margin with a band of adhesive, suitably binding the entire margin of said insole member, coating the under face of the insole member with adhesive in a short defined area along peripheral portions in the region corresponding to the ball of the foot, providing an upper also having the approximate dimensions and shape corresponding to those of the finished shoe, folding the upper marginally over and upon the under face of the insole member, initially securing said upper to the insole in said area adjacent the ball of the foot by means of the adhesive, placing the partially completed shoe upon a last, and completing same by pulling over and tacking down the unsecured margins of the upper upon the corresponding marginal portions of the insole and applying a sole member. JOHN J. WALSH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,079,716 Prosper May 11, 1937 2,406,975 Walsh Sept. 3, 1946 

